Tibetan / Vajrayana

Vajrayana Buddhism is most closely associated with Tibet and can be characterized by the figure of the siddha, the master whose spiritual realization is so profound that he or she has power over the phenomenal world, and in whom the profundity and vastness of absolute truth is fully and completely manifested. Many of our most well-known authors come from this tradition of Tibetan Buddhism .

[Note: The tags for the various schools are not definitive as many books span multiple traditions, etc. They are meant to use as a starting point for exploring this collection.]

Journey and Goal

Jamgön Kongtrul's ten-volume Treasury of Knowledge is a unique, encyclopedic masterpiece embodying the entire range of Buddhist teachings as they were preserved in Tibet. Tibetan Buddhist teachers expected their students to study Buddhist philosophical texts as well as practice reflection… Read More

A text belonging to the same cycle as The Tibetan Book of the Dead, this instruction on the method of self-liberation presents the essence of Dzogchen, The Great Perfection, regarded in Tibet as the highest and most esoteric teaching… Read More

Traversing the Path of the Buddha

Daring Steps stands out among the multitude of books on Tibetan Buddhism as being a uniquely accessible overview of the Buddhist path that encompasses all three yanas, or traditional Buddhist spiritual paths. Ringu Tulku—renowned for both his insight and approachable… Read More

A Practical Guide from the Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism

An accessible and practical introduction to Tibetan Buddhism as practiced in the Nyingma or 'ancient' tradition, The Buddhist Path presents for us the proper way of cultivating intellect and heart so that our true nature can manifest. The authors provide… Read More

Practices to Open the Heart

The Four Immeasurables—the cultivation of loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity—is a rich suite of practices that open the heart, counter the distortions in our relationships to ourselves, and deepen our relationships to others. Alan Wallace presents a unique… Read More

The Challenge of Individuation in Buddhist Life

If you have been practicing Buddhism for a while, why do you still have so many problems? And how do you balance the sometimes different needs of spiritual and psychological perspectives? Rob Preece draws on his personal experience—over two decades… Read More

A Study of the Life and Thought of the Tibetan Master Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen

The Buddha from Dölpo is a revised and enlarged edition of the only book about the most controversial Buddhist master in the history of Tibet, Dölpopa Sherab Gyaltsen (1292–1361), who became perhaps the greatest Tibetan expert of the Kalacakra or… Read More

Buddhism's Journey To Tibet

Jamgön Kongtrül’s ten-volume Treasury of Knowledge is a unique, encyclopedic masterpiece embodying the entire range of Buddhist teachings as they were preserved in Tibet. Tibetan Buddhist teachers expected their students to study Buddhist philosophical texts as well as practice reflection… Read More

The wish for freedom, the altruistic intention, and the wisdom realizing emptiness constitute the essence of the Buddhist path. In this teaching, Geshe Sonam Rinchen explains, in clear and readily accessible terms, Je Tsongkhapa’s (1357–1419) famed presentation of these three… Read More

Tibetan Approaches to a Healthy Relationship

The relationship between a teacher and student can be a most rewarding and life-enhancing experience, yet it can also be fraught with problems and misunderstandings. For Westerners working with Eastern teachers, the difficulties can be compounded by cultural differences,… Read More

A Story of Transmission

Beautiful, evocative, and eminently useful, this rich array of texts chants on CD and images handsomely fills out the practices of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse tradition. The foundational practices from the Heart Essence transmission that was… Read More

Heartfelt Advice offers readers an overview of basic Buddhist topics in small easily digestible bites that illuminate the main principles of Buddhist practice. Lama Dudjom Dorjee skillfully guides students through the vast array of considerations on the path, highlighting… Read More

Transforming Spiritual Hardship into Joy

We all encounter obstacles on a daily basis—from small inconveniences and nuisances to the really big hardships wreaking havoc with our lives. Sometimes just the small things are enough to set us reeling. Andrew Holecek offers us a progressive path… Read More

Practical Instructions on the Union of Mahamudra and Atiyoga

This manual of Tibetan meditation simply and thoroughly presents the profound Dzogchen and Mahamudra systems of practice. Karma Chagmé sets forth the stages of meditation practice, including the cultivation of meditative quiescence and insight, the experiential identification of awareness,… Read More